33 Never Alone

Amber POV

The outdoor garden was beautiful. Whoever did the landscaping here at the castle had an amazing green thumb. Walking hand in hand with Damien following my uncle, I took the time to look around and really admire the flowers. A beautiful display of roses in just about any color you can think of were planted in such an intricate design, with islands of all different kinds of flowers among the landscape. Taking a deep breath, I took time to enjoy all the different aromas that tickled my senses.

"You always did love being in nature my lovely niece. Of course roses were your favorite, that's why there are so many of them here." My uncle explained as he turned to me. "Did you know that you were always my favorite little girl? You were always smiling and happy, so selfless and caring."

I looked at him as though he had lost his mind. He had a look of nostalgia on his features, and his eyes twinkled as he recalled his memories. But I had no memories of him, or how he even knew me. Glaring at him I quickly retorted, "Of course I didn't know and I don't know! I don't even know you and if it wasn't for the fact that you look like my long lost twin in male form I wouldn't even know that we were related!"

He let out a series of chuckles but I didn't miss the look of sorrow that crossed his features for a fleeting second. He stepped towards me to say something, but as he did so Damien reached his arm around my waist and quickly pulled me to him, as if to protect me from any move that my uncle were to make. "Ah the ever protective Alpha Mate. Damien I am not who you need to worry about. I would never hurt my niece, I only want what is best for her."

Damien scoffed at that; with a look of disdain towards my uncle he quickly shot back, "You would never hurt her? Then how did her picture end up in a stack of pictures of women that I was asked to look at to purchase a slave? Why in gods name would you EVER put your own niece's picture in there for a chance for her to become a slave? And a slave to the Alpha known as the most ruthless?"

I looked over at Damien and his features were all hardened. I could see his whole body tense even more as the words were spoken. I admired him in that moment. He honestly was able to take a step back from everything as a whole, and question why I was put into a situation, acknowledging that the situation was not the best to put me in with all the information that someone could have had at that point in time.

My uncle rubbed the back of his head as he took in Damien's words. Looking slightly embarrassed he quickly explained himself. "I apologize for what you must be thinking. I guess neither of you really do know anything about royals. Well for your first lesson, every royal has a special ability if not more than one. My special ability is to read people. In saying that I can tell when they are lying, what emotions they are holding onto, what their desires are deep down in their heart. Sometimes I can read thoughts, but it is not always the case. But one thing I have been blessed with that no one else has is the fact that I know who everyone's Mate is."

"That's impossible!" Damien scoffed.

My uncle looked at him impassively, and shrugged his shoulders. "But is it really though?" my uncle questioned before he slowly turned around and started walking along the stone path towards a beautiful white gazebo in the center of a field. "Follow me you two, we will sit and talk."

I looked at Damien before I made a move to follow. I wrapped my hands around his torso and brought him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms protectively around me and placed a kiss atop my head. "Baby girl, I'm not liking this too much. There are too many secrets. I feel as though both of our lives have been played with and planned out, like we are pieces to a life size game of chess."

I sighed. Hugging him tighter I whispered to him, "I know Damien. It does feel that way, but I believe him. I don't want to believe him, but I do. There has to be a reason for all of this, and I feel if anyone is going to tell the complete and honest truth it will be him. If you would rather go back to the room, I can finish talking to him alone if you want." I prayed that he would say no. It's not that I was too afraid to do things on my own, but at the same time I didn't feel completely safe unless I had this gladiator of a man by my side.

Damien brought his fingers below my chin and lifted my face up so that our eyes were looking into the others. "Baby girl, you are my princess. I will not let you go through this all-alone. I can keep my wolf at bay, and I will try to keep my anger at bay with as little interjection on my part as possible. I want to be with you, I WANT to help you through all of this, and most of all I NEED to know that you are safe." With saying that he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

My heart fluttered at his words. Warmth spread throughout my body. It was not the intense fiery heat from being aroused, but more of a warm fuzzy feeling like taking a sip of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. It warmed me inside feeling the love this man has for me. "Damien you are the best Mate a woman could ask for and I would want nothing more than you to stay with me. I don't know how I would get through any of this without you by my side." I whispered as I hugged him again, a little tighter this time.

Wrapping his arms around me again and rubbing circles on my back, he rested his chin on my head, reassuring me, "Well it's a good thing I will always be by your side then Princess."